Flyers prospect report: Three players make World Junior Championship rosters

Welcome to BSH’s weekly prospect update, where we will be serving up stats and insight on what our homegrown players have been up to. This will include prospects in Canadian Juniors (BCHL, OHL, QMJHL & WHL), Europe (SHL, KHL), and NCAA college hockey. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

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Prospects invited to the World Junior Championship

Team Canada
Although a pair of Flyers’ prospects were invited to Team Canada’s World Junior Championship camp neither managed to make the final roster due to different reasons. Philly’s 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster was cut as a hockey decision while defenseman Mason Millman was part of a five-player group that had to be let go due to COVID-19 protocols. Both Foerster (Barrie Colts) and Millman (Saginaw Spirit) are expected to play in the OHL this season, which is hoping to start their 2020-21 campaign on February 4th.

Team U.S.A.
As expected both Cam York and Bobby Brink have made Team U.S.A.’s WJC squad. York has two goals and three helpers in eight games for the University of Michigan so far this season, while Brink has three assists in three tilts for the University of Denver.

Team Sweden
Emil Andrae has been named to Team Sweden’s WJC roster. The Flyers’ second-round pick has three apples and nine shots in 20 games this year for HV71 in the SHL averaging 11:48 of ice time a night.

Prospects playing in Europe

Adam Ginning (LHD), Farjestad BK (SHL)
2018 2nd Round Pick, 50th overall

• 12/10 - 1 assist
• 12/12 - 1 assist, 1 shot on goal, 2 hits
• 12/13 - 1 shot on goal, 2 penalty minutes

With an assist in back-to-back games this week, Ginning has registered five points (one goal) in his last eight contests. He also recorded his three highest total ice times in Farjestad BK’s games this week, as he broke the 21-minute plateau twice. The blue liner has one goal and five assists in 21 appearances this year while averaging 9:02 of ice time a night.

Olle Lycksell (F), Farjestad BK (SHL)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall

• 12/10 - 13:29 time on ice
• 12/12 - 4 shots on goal
• 12/13 - 2 shots on goal

Despite throwing a season-high four shots on net in a game on Saturday, Lycksell wasn’t able to find his way into the goal column this week. He has a goal on 10 shots in the five games since he was scratched, as the former sixth-rounder has totaled five points in 21 tilts in 2020-21.

Samuel Ersson (G), Brynas IF (SHL)
2018 5th Round Pick, 143rd overall

Due to a confirmed COVID-19 case, Ersson and Brynas IF didn’t play this week. They’re still expected to play on Tuesday against Leksands IF.

German Rubtsov (C), HK Sochi (KHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall

• 12/9 - 1 shot on goal, 8/14 on faceoffs
• 12/11 - 2 goals, 2 shots on goal, 5/11 on faceoffs
• 12/13 - 1 shot on goal, 7/13 on faceoffs

Rubtsov finally snapped his lengthy production droughts on Friday, as the former first-rounder ended an 11-game point drought and 22-game goal drought with his first two-goal game in the KHL in HK Sochi’s 4-2 win over Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik. With his offensive outburst the 2016 pick is up to seven points and 30 shots on net through 30 contests.

Maxim Sushko (RW), Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall

• 12/9 - 2 shots on goal, 2 hits, 2 penalty minutes
• 12/11 - 13:36 time on ice
• 12/13 - 2 shots on goal, 2 penalty minutes

After he produced assists in back-to-back games last week, Sushko couldn’t add to his point total in three outings this week. He has two assists in his last 22 tilts and a total of three points (one goal) in 26 contests for Dinamo Minsk.

Ivan Fedotov (G), Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall

It looks like Fedotov will go about two weeks without playing in a game for Traktor Chelyabinsk as he did not play in any of the club’s three games this week and will be with Team Russia in the Channel One Cup for the next several days. He’s one of three goalies named to Russia’s group for the tournament, which runs from December 17th to the 20th and features four countries (Russia, Czech Republic, Finland, and Sweden).

David Kase (LW/RW), HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czech Tipsport Extraliga)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall

• 12/8 - 3 shots on goal, 5/17 on faceoffs
• 12/11 - 1 goal, 2 assists, 5 shots on goal, 2/11 on faceoffs
• 12/13 - 1 shot on goal, 2 penalty minutes, 3/6 on faceoffs

Kase continues to tear up the Czech Tipsport Extraliga, as he provided a three-point performance this week to increase his output to 16 tallies (five goals) in 18 games in 2020-21. The 2015 selection will also take part in the Channel One Cup as a representative of Team Czech Republic.

Marcus Westfalt (C), Vasterviks IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
2018 7th Round Pick, 205th overall

• 12/9 - 1 goal, 1 shot on goal, 9/18 on faceoffs

Westfalt scored on his only shot on goal this week, as the second game Vasterviks IK had scheduled was cancelled due to COVID-19. The former seventh-round pick is up to three goals on 20 shots and five points in 21 appearances.

Linus Hogberg (LHD), HC Vita Hasten (HockeyAllsvenkan)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall

• 12/9 - 1 goal, 2 shots on goal

Hogberg upped his goal total to two on the season, as he now has 12 points and 40 shots on net through 21 outings averaging 21:34 of work a night.

Prospects playing in NCAA

Ronnie Attard (RHD), Western Michigan University (NCHC)
2019 3rd Round Pick, 72nd overall

• 12/8 - 1 assist, 3 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot
• 12/9 - 3 shots on goal
• 12/11 - 2 assists, 1 shot on goal, 1 blocked shot
• 12/13 - 1 assist, 1 shot on goal, 2 blocked shots

Attard has been racking up assists and shot attempts (shots on goal, missed shots, and shots that were blocked) at an absurd rate for the Broncos, as he accrued four helpers and threw 32 pucks towards the other net this week. He’s tied for the team-lead with five assists in seven games and leads the school with 55 shot attempts overall.

Bryce Brodzinski (RW), University of Minnesota (Big Ten)
2019 7th Round Pick, 196th overall

• 12/8 - 1 goal, 2 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot
• 12/9 - 2 shots on goal, 0/2 on faceoffs

Brodzinski finished the first half of his season with a goal on four shots in a pair of victories, as the Golden Gophers went 8-0-0 before the break. The Flyers’ prospect concluded the eight-game run with two goals on 11 shots and an assist for three points along with four penalty minutes.

Jay O’Brien (C), Boston University (Hockey East)
2018 1st Round Pick, 19th overall

Thanks to a positive COVID-19 test and precautionary measures to limit its spread O’Brien and the Terriers have had their season pushed back until the middle of January. The former first-rounder will open his career at BU with a home-and-home against his former school, the Providence College Friars, on January 8th and 9th.

Gavin Hain (C), University of North Dakota (NCHC)
2018 6th Round Pick, 174th overall

• 12/8 - 1 blocked shot
• 12/10 - 1 blocked shot
• 12/12 - 2 penalty minutes
• 12/13 - 1 goal, 3 shots on goal

After he failed to produce a single shot in his first three games this week, Hain found the back of the net in the University of North Dakota’s 6-3 win over Attard’s Broncos. The forward is up to a pair of goals on nine shots in seven contests this year.

Noah Cates (LW), University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall

• 12/8 - 1 goal, 1 shot on goal, 8/19 on faceoffs
• 12/10 - 3 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot, 11/22 on faceoffs
• 12/12 - 1 assist, 1 shot on goal, 2 penalty minutes, 18/29 on faceoffs
• 12/13 - 3 shots on goal, 8/16 on faceoffs

Despite losing yesterday Cates and the University of Minnesota-Duluth have won six of their first seven games this season. The Bulldogs’ captain has put the biscuit in the basket twice and provided four helpers to sit fourth on the club in scoring.